Project abstract for group dunnearh

Functional Genomics of Enterococcus faecalis

The Dunny lab studies the genetic basis for the ability of the bacterium Enterococcus faecalis to colonize the intestinal tract as a harmless commensal organism and to cause opportunistic infection in persons with impaired immunity or who have been heavily treated with antibiotics. The researchers make extensive use of Illumina sequencing for analyzing gene expression, comparing competitive fitness of large numbers of mutants, and for identification of spontaneous changes in genome sequences under selective pressures.